Roman Catholic diocese which serves 1.4 million New Yorkers, becomes the largest in the US to declare bankruptcy to protect itself from wave of sexual abuse lawsuits

A Roman Catholic diocese in New York City's suburbs has become the largest in the US to declare bankruptcy to protect itself from a wave of lawsuits filed over past sexual abuse by clergy members.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday. It is the eighth largest diocese or archdiocese in the US, serving more than 1.4 million Catholics on Long Island.

'The financial burden of the litigation has been severe and only compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic,' Bishop John Barres said in a video posted on the diocese's website. 

Diocese of Rockville Centre filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday. It is the eighth largest diocese or archdiocese in the US, serving more than 1.4 million Catholics on Long Island

'The financial burden of the litigation has been severe and only compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic,' Bishop John Barres said

Catholic dioceses to file for bankruptcy 

Archdiocese of Portland, OR 

Diocese of Tucson, AZ

Diocese of Spokane, WA

Diocese of Davenport, IA 

Diocese of San Diego, CA

Diocese of Fairbanks, AK 

Oregon Province of the Jesuits 

Diocese of Wilmington, DE & MD 

Archdiocese of Milwaukee, WI

Congregation of the Christian Brothers 

Diocese of Gallup, NM 

Diocese of Stockton, CA 

Diocese of Helena, MT

Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN

Diocese of Duluth, MN 

Diocese of New Ulm, MN

Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, MT 

Crosier Fathers and Brothers, MN & AZ

Diocese of St. Cloud, MN 

Archdiocese of Agana, Guam 

Diocese of Winona-Rochester, MN 

Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM

Diocese of Rochester, NY

Diocese of Harrisburg, PA

Diocese of Buffalo, NY

Diocese of Rockville Centre, NY 

'Our goal is to make sure that all clergy sexual abuse survivors and not just a few who were first to file lawsuits are afforded just and equitable compensation.'

Since the early 2000s there has been a wave of lawsuits across the country. 

Barres said more than 200 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by clergy members have been filed against the diocese since the 2019 passage of New York's Child Victims Act, which suspended the statute of limitations to allow sex abuse victims to pursue decades-old allegations of abuse against clergy members, teachers and other adults. 

'That is because the bankruptcy court will centralize the litigation and oversee a settlement, making sure no survivor is left out or gets unfair compensation at the expense of another survivor,' he added about their reasoning for filing. 

Civil claims now have an extra year - until August 2021 - to be made in abuse cases. 

'This decision was not made lightly. However, in the year since the passage of the Child Victims Act, more than 200 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse have been filed against the Diocese of Rockville Centre,' Barres said.

'What became clear was that the diocese was not going to be able to carry out its spiritual, charitable and educational missions if it were to continue to shoulder the increasingly heavy burden of litigation expenses associated with these cases,' Barres said.

The diocese started an independent compensation program in 2017 to provide settlements for victims of past sexual abuse and has so far paid more than $62 million to about 350 survivors under the program, officials said. 

In June it spent $3.7million defending itself in 94 lawsuits. 

Settlements may be higher for some accusers who did not participate in the program but chose instead to file lawsuits under the Child Victims Act.

The Rockville Centre diocese is the latest of more than 20 Catholic dioceses in the nation to file for bankruptcy in the face of lawsuits over sexual abuse.

Barres said most of the diocese's operations would continue despite the bankruptcy filing. He said employees and vendors would be paid.

Catholic schools and parishes are separate entities. 

'The good work of our parishes and schools are expected to continue as normal,' Barres said. 'But it is also the case that after chapter 11, the diocese will have fewer financial resources to help struggling schools and parishes.'

More than 200 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by clergy members have been filed against the diocese since the 2019 passage of New York's Child Victims Act, he wrote in a Thursday letter

'Our goal is to make sure that all clergy sexual abuse survivors and not just a few who were first to file lawsuits are afforded just and equitable compensation,' the bishop said

In this August 14, 2018 photo, victims of clergy sexual abuse, or their family members, react as Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference at the State Capitol in Harrisburg

In this December 6, 2018 photo, a sexual abuse victim points to the photos of Catholic priests accused of sexual misconduct by victims during a news conference in Orange, California